Ethnobotany of food plants in the Alt Emporda region (Catalonia, Iberian Peninsula)

Authors

  • M. Parada
  • E. Carrió
  • J. Vallès

Abstract

This paper includes part of the ethnobotanical work carried out in the Alt Emporda region (Catalonia, Iberian Peninsula), in which the compilation of medicinal plants in popular therapeutics and folk food plants in traditional diets have been the outstanding objectives. We report here a total of 211 food plants, both wild and cultivated, used for human alimentation in the study area. From these species, there are 13 which have no previous references in the bibliography consulted. These species are mainly used to prepare a house-made drink very common among our informants called 'ratafia'. Several of these edible plants are also referred as medicinal for local people, so they could be classified as nutraceuticals or food medicines. A significant number of other most commonly reported species also have this double use, as food and medicinal. A great proportion of the alimentary plants reported are wild or minor crops. Some of these plants are used quite frequently. being normal in the diet, and they are prepared with the same variation of methods as common crops.

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Published

2012-03-05